The Island Revisited

Saturday 26th June

Stupidly hot day to do this, but the 90 miles to Lymington, round the Isle of Wight and back had to be done - we'd organised a babysitter! I had somehow persuaded Tracy that she wanted to do this challenge and that it would be a nice day out.

The ride to Lymington was beautiful, with birds seemingly racing us through the sunny hedgerows. We managed to catch an earlier ferry than we expected (result) and steeled ourselves for the Island and the dreaded military road.



Tiring stuff, but we generally made good progress to Ventnor. Tracy was desperate for a break by lunchtime in Bembridge - treating me to one of her "What have you made me do?" looks when her legs failed her on a tough hill. As we sat outside the deli eating baguettes I assured her that the North side of the Island is much flatter and wouldn't be all hills.


Now I have cycled round the island twice before. I really should have remembered that people say that the north side of the island is flat, but this is not really based in fact. Yes, there are fewer big hills, but instead you are treated to lots and lots of smaller ones - after 60 miles they hurt - especially if someone has just told you that they aren't going to be there.


However, we made it round, got lucky with the ferry once more and rewarded ourselves with a beer in the Croft garden. Tracy has decided not to divorce me just yet.

90 miles averaging 11.5mph. Pretty happy with my ability to cover the distance with all the kit, at least for one day...

LEJOG - A Mid-life crisis?

Definately not.
No.
Isn't a midlife crisis about recapturing lost youth? Buying a fast sports car and bombing around like a born again boy racer? Don't you have to highlight your hair and act like you're 18 again?

I am happy to say that I do not fall into any of those cliches! oh hang on...

I've never liked cars.

I have no hair to dye.

Acting like I was 18? I wanted to cycle Lands End to John O Groats when I was 18...

Bugger!

So like I said, midlife crisis? absolutely definately probably not. Maybe

Now about that sports car...

Why Honeypot?

As many of you may know Pete Legate died on Everest in April 2002, pursuing his childhood dream of reaching the summit of the highest peak.



Pete was using his challenge to raise money for local charities and since his death many of his friends have continued his work
e.g. http://www.trekforlegate.co.uk/index.html

Fawley Rugby club continue with the traditional Legate versus Legett Charity match.


Honeypot, being based in Blackfield is one of the local charities that has been supported. click here to find out about Honeypot






So I guess it feels like the right time for me to pursue my own challenge. I think that some of the days will be tough, but maybe the memory of Pete slapping me on the back and saying "Well done Dan" will help me up some of the longer hills...

A trip round the island

Not sure about the year of this trip - 1996 I think. Around the Isle of Wight in a day to try and raise money for the (then Esso) Fawley rugby club. Basically a bunch of people who were all the wrong shape for distance cycling on a range of poorly maintained and ill-fitting bikes.

But this time I had a plan.

Pete Legate asked if I was coming on the trip and I knew that he had a tandem - twice the power, not on a crap bike etc, so I said yes - if I could go on the two-seater. Pete agreed and asked me to pick up the bike from the shop where it was being serviced - I didn't even know that you could get bike serviced! Result!

Come the day and Bud McGrane has managed to borrow one of those new fangled mobile phone thingies, as his wife, Caroline, was pregnant and due anytime. Bud was very tight-lipped about the phone number, as he knew that he'd get stitched up by the boys.

Somehow Pete had acquired the number and had a mobile too. Every steep hill, Bud's phone would ring. He'd get off to answer, Pete would hang up, Bud's phone would stop ringing and he'd curse his way up the rest of the slope. Pete didn't tire of this sport all morning and neither did the rest of us.

Anyhow, speaking of slopes, I was on the front seat of the tandem, really struggling, getting to the top all sweaty and breathless. Pete giving me a slap on the back and saying "Well done, Dan" every time we hit a summit. I remember thinking how Pete kept me going with encouragement and thinking how unfit I was and how fit he must be.

It turned out later that Pete had dodgy knees and stopped pedalling every time we hit a hill. I was so knackered because I was cycling both of us up most of the hills. So much for my cunning plan! (or perhaps Pete just had a better one?)

Back at Yarmouth, the hills and aches faded with time (spent in the pub) - what better way to spend a warm summers day with friends?

Why LEJOG?

Why Lands End to John O'Groats?

The idea really started when I was 18 (see picture left, complete with hair!).












During the holidays between upper 6th and university, I was lucky enough to take part in a cycle tour from Southampton down to lands end and back (a really big thanks to Lawrence Herklots from KES for this experience).

Now you have to appreciate that I was 18 - planning and preparation were not part of my vocabularly. My bike for the duration was a raleigh ace 5 gear racer that I'd had since I was 12 - far too small for me and all the wrong gears. I'd borrowed some panniers from my friend Pete and loaded them up with my stuff and cycled around the block the night before. Training over.

On the first day, about 60 miles in, I developed muscle spasms in both my thighs and cramp in both calve muscles. I was well behind the rest of the team and developed my own little ritual. It went like this - cycle about 500m, get cramp and spasms in both legs, fall off on the grass verge, lie there twitching like a dying ant, wait for spasms to stop, then get back on bike and repeat. I do remember several cars stopping and their very kind drivers asking if I was OK, but being an 18 year old lad, my stock answer was always "I'm fine".

Anyhow, things did get better and it was a really excellent trip. I remember seeing a couple of lads on a tandem beginning their LEJOG and thinking "that's a cool idea" and it's been at the back of my mind ever since.

22 years later I'm hoping that I'm less of an idiot than I was then - or at least a better prepared one...

LEJOG Itinery

The LEJOG road less travelled?

26th July Lands End -> Launceston 89 miles
27th July Launceston -> Cheddar 108 miles
28th July Cheddar -> Leominster 100 miles
29th July Leominster -> Winsford 93 miles
30th July Winsford -> Slaidburn 81 miles (almost a rest day)
31st July Slaidburn -> Lockerbie 117 miles (oh dear)
1st August Lockerbie -> Loch Lomond 99 miles
2nd August Loch Lomond -> Loch Ness 122 miles (ouch)
3rd August Loch Ness -> Helmsdale 89 miles
4th August Helmsdale -> John O Groats -> Wick 86 miles
5th August Fly home (back in a few hours!)

If you are around in any of these locations (stranger things have happened) come and say hello!

The joy of cycling

Last couple of days commuting have been pure joy - gentle breeze, sun shining, the bike gliding through drifting blossom and dandelion seeds. On days like this, you become part of the landscape, rather than separated from it inside a tin can. Maybe the price of petrol will force more drivers to revisit their pre-car childhood...